Here's a test for those in enduring partnerships who are fans of the horror genre: Get comfortable with your significant other and view Together. This 2025 indie hit has now made its launch on a streaming platform on the Hulu service. Outwardly, it could look like typical body horror, but beneath Together exists a profound contemplation about the ways we decide to love each other.
A Debut Feature Delving into Partnership Complexities
Together marks the introductory feature for director Michael Shanks. It stars Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie, a pair who are not married that have been together for a decade. Having wed in actuality in 2017, the two stars bring a particular energy to their characters, masterfully depicting both the good and bad of a committed partnership.
The narrative starts when the couple move from the urban environment to the country for professional reasons. A commonly used narrative setup, admittedly, but that’s primarily where the cliches conclude. Together evolves into as much a examination of mental states of the pair’s relationship as it is a film about physical terror.
A Supernatural Catalyst
While walking near their country house, a tempest descends, and the two fall into an hole in the earth. After being trapped overnight there and eventually escaping, a strange force takes hold of the couple. This force creates a otherworldly bond between them that goes far beyond emotional intimacy.
The whole movie is a slow burn of scares, weaving in bits of fever-dream horrors, disturbing (but never too gross) body horror, and genuinely funny exchanges (sometimes during something grotesque). Shanks orchestrates these parts seamlessly and presents them in a gradually swelling sense of impending doom.
Nuanced Portrayals
A significant portion of Together is only the performances of its stars, and they skillfully illustrate manifold depths to the characters’ relationship. Her self-assurance and emotional bond is deteriorating due to a distance. Her unspoken irritation of Tim for his hesitance to focus on anything other than his failing musical ambitions gradually emerges.
In contrast, Tim's character experiences isolation and cut off by Millie, who’s the impetus they’ve relocated rural and far away from his social circle. He is terrified of the concept of totally forfeiting his sense of self in Millie. This fear is amplified by the reality he can’t drive and relies on Millie for transportation.
Shanks’ smartest move in Together refrains from painting Tim or Millie the clear bad guy.
The couple confront the sort of issues that arise in most partnerships after ten years. Fundamentally, they continue to care for each other. They share moments of joy, comfort one another, and are vulnerable at times. But below this facade, there’s an inescapable feeling of questioning about their future together.
Symbolism and Metaphor
While the paranormal elements in Together act as a metaphor for these fears of excessive reliance and giving oneself over to another person, the metaphor does not come across as clumsy or pretentious. Instead, these ickier, creepier moments offer a ideal counterpart to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights enhance each other symbiotically.
A Divisive Ending
Together’s ending, which won’t be spoiled here, has sparked debate on the film’s ultimate message about unhealthy partnerships. It has been said that single viewers have seen the movie as a compelling reason for staying single. Conversely, certain partners having disagreements found that the film actually helped them reconcile.
If you are alone or with a partner, your own interpretation could potentially serve as a revealing measure of how you view relationships. Will the finale sow anxiety and horror, or a uplifting feeling of optimism? Will you recognize your own traits in one of the characters and scream at your TV, or simply turn to your other half and utter, “I’d do that for you”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an experiment you can undertake today.
Together is streaming on Hulu's platform now.
